Deck 5: Campaigning Through the Media

Question 1

Issue advertising tends to increase with the availability of

A) hard money.
B) soft money.
C) soft money raised at the state and local levels.
D) money raised by the national party committees.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

From the perspective of a candidate, the late-night entertainment show (e.g., Late Night with David Letterman) is an attractive venue because

A) the audience consists disproportionately of regular voters.
B) the late-night shows set the agenda for the next day's morning news.
C) the hosts are unlikely to ask tough, probing questions.
D) their appearances provide vivid footage for the ad campaign.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

The "in person" rule is thought to have which of the following effects?

A) It makes campaign ads more civil.
B) It makes campaign ads more substantive.
C) It makes candidates more accountable for their advertising.
D) All of these are correct.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

"They Keep Coming" is an example of which genre of campaign advertising?

A) wedge issues
B) character assassination
C) image advertising
D) sequencing

Question 5

The scheduling of the 2004 Republican National Convention illustrates which maxim of campaign strategy?

A) going negative
B) riding the wave
C) rapid response
D) the expectations game

Question 6

One of the implications of issue ownership is that candidates should

A) use only positive messages.
B) rely solely on character attacks.
C) use messages that confirm party or candidate stereotypes.
D) None of these are correct.

Question 7

So-called 527 groups attempt to influence the outcome of elections by engaging in which of the following activities?

A) sponsoring candidate debates
B) running TV ads supporting a candidate
C) monitoring news coverage of the campaign for evidence of partisan bias
D) donating money to political parties

Question 8

The main objective of the "Swift Boat" ad campaign was to

A) buy enough advertising time to persuade undecided voters that John Kerry was dishonest.
B) attract news coverage about Kerry's service in Vietnam.
C) coordinate the Swift Boat Veterans' message with the Bush campaign.
D) None of these are correct.

Question 9

Which of the following would most likely be a successful example of issue ownership?

A) a female candidate campaigning for tougher immigration laws
B) a Republican candidate campaigning for an increase in the minimum wage
C) a female candidate campaigning for stricter laws against sexual harassment
D) a Republican candidate campaigning for a modest middle-class tax increase

Question 10

Direct mail as an alternative to television advertising is most likely to come into play

A) when candidates cannot afford to purchase TV ads.
B) in down-ballot races.
C) in media markets that encompass multiple political contests.
D) All of these are correct.

Question 11

Which of the following is most important to presidential campaigns?

A) paid advertising by the candidates themselves
B) paid advertising by third-party groups not officially under the candidates' control
C) news coverage of the campaign by major news outlets
D) live coverage of presidential debates

Question 12

A comparison of the 1994 and 2010 races for Governor of California suggests that

A) wedge appeals on immigration were just as effective in 2010 as they were in 1994.
B) as the number of Latinos who vote increases, candidates are being discouraged from using explicit wedge appeals.
C) Democrats and Republicans have become equally harsh on the issue of illegal immigration.
D) female candidates are unable to position themselves as tough on immigration.

Question 13

Which of the following was a frequent criticism of the Kerry campaign strategy in 2004?

A) They failed to rebut the Swift Boat ads.
B) They spent too much time on issues of national security and not enough on the economy.
C) They failed to connect Kerry's biography with the issues confronting the nation.
D) They failed to select a running mate who could deliver a single state.

Question 14

A key distinction between campaign ads and product ads is that

A) campaign ads try to develop a positive attachment to the candidate.
B) campaign ads try to provide a rationale for detaching a voter from a candidate.
C) campaign ads do not provide accurate information.
D) campaign ads tend not to be responsive to an opponent's previously run ads.

Question 15

"Texas ranked 49th out of 50 states on education performance" is an example of which genre of negative advertising?

A) performance critique
B) the flip-flop script
C) character assassination
D) riding the wave

Question 16

Issue ownership refers to which of the following?

A) the credibility a candidate derives from constantly attacking his/her opponent on a particular issue
B) the reputation an incumbent gains for being able to handle an issue when he/she proposes a policy in that arena
C) the perception that a candidate owns an issue when his/her voting and/or veto record on it is consistent
D) the advantage a party holds in relation to its reputation for being able to handle a particular issue